


Still the Same

by DarthTella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Introspection, Oneshot, Post-Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Romance, reupload, tentoo/rose - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22287451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthTella/pseuds/DarthTella
Summary: Rose contemplates the differences between the Doctor in brown and the Doctor in blue.
Relationships: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor & Rose Tyler
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Still the Same

**Author's Note:**

> This is indeed a reupload. This was going to be the start of a multi-chapter fic, but I decided to just make it a one shot instead so I can focus on other things I want to write without being bound to putting them into any sort of sequence. I kind of find it a bit stressful to write long, multi-chapter fics.

The inn was just as Rose remembered it; old fashioned and rustic but still very elegant in it’s own way. A large stone fireplace was home to a cheery fire that spread its warmth across the lobby, and Jackie had made a beeline for it as soon as the Doctor had rolled his eyes quite impatiently and not so gently nudged her out of the way to take her place so he could properly arrange lodgings for them at the front desk. Apparently, her broken Norwegian was only confusing the poor concierge. Rose took that moment to properly study him and found that there were some small changes to his appearance that happened during their time apart. His hair was a bit shorter at the back, quite a bit more spiky in the front and his sideburns were now clipped closer to his jawline. All in all, it was a slightly cleaner look even with the five o'clock shadow making itself known. The blue suit was the biggest change but not an unwelcome one. It was also the only way she could tell this Doctor apart from the… other one.

Oh, this wouldn’t do. They were both the Doctor, Rose couldn’t assign a name for each of them! It wasn’t like she just had a nameless puppy dropped in her lap, even if she was asked to keep an eye on this Doctor who now only had one heart and no regenerations left. So far there wasn’t a hint of him being full of blood and anger and revenge. As far as his actions towards the Daleks were concerned, in her opinion, he was doing the universe a favour! Davros needed to be stopped, and simply destroying his technology so he couldn’t hurt anyone else and a harsh telling off wasn’t going to cut it!

She found that she couldn’t help but feel hurt and a bit angry at the way the brown suited Doctor (she decided to stick to the colour coding for now) just left without saying ‘goodbye’. At the time it felt like he was just dumping her off on that beach without giving her a choice. But could she blame him when she was snogging the daylights out of the Doctor in blue? The Doctor who actually finished that sentence and told her exactly how he felt. The Doctor who actually asked her if she wanted to spend her life with him because their lifespans now matched. 

The Doctor in brown didn’t seem to be inclined to give her such an offer. If anything, she felt as if he was pushing her away. If this Doctor in blue hadn’t been… born? Created? Rose didn’t exactly know how he came to be (just what was an instantaneous biological metacrisis anyway?) but if he wasn’t there would the Doctor in brown have taken her aboard the TARDIS?

No probably. But only because the TARDIS would have actually been destroyed with Donna still inside and Davros would have succeeded. Everyone would have died. Entire universes would have been snuffed out. She had already seen the effects of the Reality Bomb on parallel worlds, how many people were already going to die.

Trying to think of them as two separate people was doing her head in. Of course they would have diverged slightly from each other as events unfolded. The Doctor in blue wasn’t even there for most of Davros’ gloating, and she had been holding the Doctor in brown’s hand when it looked like the TARDIS was being destroyed. Plus the blue suited Doctor seemed a touch more impulsive and sounded a bit like Donna when he talked. He also seemed less afraid to show his emotions, and this was how the Doctor was beginning to act right before they were separated. He had been opening up to her more and more, and who knows how their relationship would have developed if history decided to take another path and the battle of Canary Wharf never happened.

He once asked her how long she was going to stay with him, and she answered the only way she could: ‘forever’. Rose often wondered if that was a prelude to a proper proposal. 

And the way he kissed her back on that beach only an hour ago… 

She couldn’t reconcile feeling of losing him again when he was standing less than ten feet away from her. Then again, the Doctor never was one for standing still. She knew him well. The idea of setting down seemed incredibly daunting. Would he ever get bored of day to day life?

A wave of slight dizziness suddenly overcame Rose, and she sank somewhat ungracefully in one of the plush lobby chairs. When was the last time she had anything to eat or drink? She couldn’t quite remember. Jackie moved to be by her side, but the Doctor was waving her back over to the counter saying something about needing to pay for the rooms and how he didn’t have any money on him they could accept. Jackie looked back and forth between them before reluctantly moving toward the Doctor who was already bounding over to Rose with a concerned look on his face.

“You okay?” He crouched in front of her and took her hand in his. Rose nodded and tried for a smile hoping it was convincing.

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” She sighed squeezing his fingers lightly. ‘Tired’ was an understatement. Rose couldn’t remember the last time she had a proper good night’s rest. A yawn escaped her almost on queue. The Doctor cracked a smile.

“Oh, Rose Tyler,” If she hadn’t already been sitting down, the way he said her name—emphasising it like her name was sacred or something—would have left her weak in the knees. That and the way he was smoothing back her hair and the light kiss he pressed to her forehead. “If anyone deserves a rest, it’s you.” His smile bloomed to that megawatt grin that she knew he reserved only for her. Rose suddenly felt like kissing him again, and the feeling seemed mutual as he was starting to lean in towards her as well.

“So, how are we dividing these two rooms up then? Or is that a stupid question as his nibs here only booked us all two singles?” Jackie’s voice snapped Rose back to reality as she caught the tossed key-card awkwardly. Rose was too stunned to speak for a moment, and that was probably the first time she ever saw the Doctor blush. “Anyway, I’m dying to talk to Pete and Tony and I’m sure you two need some time yourselves. Just remember that I’m not ready to be a gran yet.” The Doctor buried his head into the armrest in a vain attempt to hide the absolutely mortified expression on his face. Rose watched her mother leave and ruffled the Doctor’s hair to get his attention. He made a sound that Rose could only describe as a purr before turned his head so his face was no longer smothered by the pillow.

“You could share with your mum if you want.” He mumbled. 

“Sick of me already?” Rose couldn’t resist teasing him a little. The Doctor blinked at her for a moment.

“No! I - I just didn’t want to assume… y’know. But truth be told I don’t really want to be alone right now. So if you’d rather go with Jackie I…” Rose placed her fingers gently over his lips to shush him.

“I’ll stay with you.” Rose shot him a tongue touched smile. The Doctor stood and held his hands out to her and Rose allowed him to pull her out of the chair and into a crushing hug. She inhaled through her nose and nearly whimpered when his familiar scent washed over her. She could never quite identify exactly what he smelled like, it was something sort of spicy and a little bit sweet. Something ancient and exotic. 

He smelled like home.

“Good, cos I want you to understand one thing, Rose Tyler: unless you tell me to go, I’m never going to leave you. I love you so, so much. I’m sorry I never told you before. Some things really do need saying. I missed you desperately and I’m rubbish on my own, so trust me when I say this: I don’t want to go.” His voice broke as he reached the end of that sentence. Rose could feel his single heart beating anxiously.

“I love you too.” Rose whispered into his chest. She felt the gentle push of his fingers against her chin and Rose let him guide her into a kiss. It wasn’t as frenzied as it was back on the beach, but it still carried a heat that Rose had only dreamed of. Sensing several pairs of disapproving eyes on them, she reluctantly broke the kiss, took him by the hand and said only one word.

“Run.”

Their laughter echoed off the walls as they bolted up the stairs towards their room.


End file.
